Chance for All

In Romania, smallholder dairy farmers account for a large part of the workforce, yet they face a range of challenges. Over 80% dairy farms have less than 10 cows, and smallholder farmers have a low adoption rate to best practices, and limited access to key inputs and technology, compromising quality and productivity.

Increasing land prices in the sector, urban opportunities and other incentives have driven the youth population out, resulting in the disappearance of over 150,000 small farms between 2002 – 2010.
Most investments target large commercial farms, while smallholders struggle with administrative barriers that limit access to credit and government support.

Launched in 2012 by a coalition of partners, including Danone Ecosystem, Open Fields Foundation, Danone Romania and Polaris Group, the Chance for All project was designed to develop the small dairy sector in Romania. The Chance for All project catalyzes, educates and empowers smallholder farmers to improve productivity and increase their incomes.

The initiative is structured around these three core pillars:

Catalyze

· Serve as catalyst for smallholder farmers by providing highly productive cows and modern milking tools to level the playing field with existing large and medium producers.

· Donate feed, transportation equipment and other key inputs in early years of project to grow small farms.

Educate

· Train farmers how to use modern milking practices to maximize productivity and mitigate shocks such as drought.

· Offer trainings to improve land management practices and generate long-term ecological sustainability of pasture and farmland.

Empower

· Initiate and organize local association of farmers to secure government subsidies, gain access to pastureland and share knowledge.

· Connect consumers to local farmer stories and create opportunities for diversified incomes.

This project was developed in three successive phases, each building on the previous one to respond more effectively to local needs and realities over time.

The project continues with its fourth phase of the project, including events such as the end-of-year celebration at the Theoretical High School in Zimnicea, where scholarships worth €5,000 per year were awarded to five students who will train to become agricultural mechanics specialists.

The Chance for All project is breaking down misconceptions and showing farmers a new way to approach dairy farming in Romania.